Happy 30th, Criterion — May your next 30 be even better

Criterion is, without a doubt, the most loved video-distribution company in the video distribution game. No one (outside Korea) packages their films so beautifully and today they released a lovely, book (just in time for Christmas) of their “covers, supplemental art, and never-before-seen sketches and concept art” featured on their releases over the years called Criterion Designs. They’re also beloved for their supplemental special features, which are similarly rarely paralleled, and the high quality of their restorations. My only problem with them is over the films which they release — or rather, those that they don’t.

Criterion was launched back in 1984, when Joe Medjuck, Aleen Stein, and Robert Stein founded the company in New York City. From the get go Criterion chose films from Europe, North America, and Asiafor their lovingly attentive treatment. I only became aware of the company around 1999. I recognized a lot of their films from introductory film school classes — the canonical status of which was usually advertised by the stamp of Janus Films. At the same time, couldn’t help but notice the glaring omission of ANY films from South America or Africa. When I pointed this out to Criterion loyalists and asked for their thoughts I got the following replies: “Do they make films?,” “You mean like Tarzan?,” and “You mean like Superfly?” My answers to all three were, “Are you *censored* kidding me?”

While Cinema Epoch, Facets, Film Movement, First Run Features, Kino, New Yorker Films, and Zeitgeistall regularly release films from less-exposed corners of World Cinema, none of them enjoy the loyalty, and thus power, that Criterion does. For many film fans, Criterion is unfortunately the first and last word in foreign and art film. In the minds of Criterion’s completists, the fact that Criterion ignores entire continents means there’s nothing there for aspiring film lovers.

Three decades later and Criterion have still yet to release a SINGLE film from South America. It only took thirty years and the involvement of Martin Scorsesefor the label to release its first (two) African films,Touki Bouki and Trances, both among the six films in that director’s collection, Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project. Next year Criterion are set to release their first ever South American film, Lucrecia Martel‘s La Cienaga (2001).

Criterion have long been more open to Asian Cinema, especially if the film in question is from Japan. Japan has accounted for nearly 90% of Criterion’s Asian films whereas only five films from China have been deemed worthy. Meanwhile, mo more than two films each in the collection come from Iran, Korea, or Taiwan. Criterion have released no Turkish films which means no films from Nuri Bilge Ceylan.

If you need a graph to see what Criterion’s bias looks like, here you go:

So whilst bells, whistles, and shiny wrapping paper are all nice — but how great would it be for Criterion to broaden their scope to include great films from around the world? Mark Cousins‘s documentary The Story of Film: An Odyssey, which came out in 2011, was surprisingly encompassing and in 15 hours did more to correct western bias than Criterion has in its first thirty years. Let’s hope that we won’t be saying the same 30 years from now.